Picnic In The Dark
by Shiner Shining Bright
Summary: Written for The Shoppe's difficult romantic situations challenge. Sabriel and Touchstone go out on a picnic in the moonlight.


**Written for The Shoppe's romance challenge. Thank you Bloo, for the challenge~**

"Run, damn you! Run!" Sabriel hissed quietly, afraid of being too loud. She held onto her companion's hand tight, pulling him along. "Quick, someone may see!"

Sabriel came into the moonlight, revealing her features. Sabriel's midnight hair was tied back in a loose braid down her back, since she didn't want the wind whistling through her hair when she ran to escape detection. She didn't wear her stiff Royal garb, but a servant's look instead. The servant's look was just a simple, loose white under-dress and a tanned apron. Sabriel also wore a pair of running shoes.

"What?" Sabriel's companion murmured back. "Is he coming?"

"Yes!" Sabriel replied anxiously. She pulled her companion's arm. "Come quickly!"

The two ran and ran, out of the Palace courtyard and through were careful to slip past guards sneakily and pass street corners and flowerbeds without a trace. To the few people that the two passed, they were hard to recognize as the King and Queen of the Old Kingdom. The two kept on running until their footsteps were the only sound besides the crickets. Here, they were safe from guards and passersby.

"I think we're safe," Touchstone announced, setting down the basket he had been carrying. His curly brown hair had been plastered to his head from all the running. Small beads of sweat ran down his forehead onto his dark brown shirt and simple trousers.

"Alright," Sabriel stated, surveying her surroundings. "What now?"

"You've never been on a picnic before?" Touchstone asked incredulously.

"Should I have been?" Sabriel asked quietly.

"I just would have thought, with a woman as beautiful as you..." Touchstone trailed off. The Abhorsen blushed bright red, an action the moonlight didn't miss, but she still managed to shake her head no.

"It's an all-girls school," Sabriel reminded him.

"Then I'll have to teach you about picnics," Touchstone declared, and opened the pack he had been holding. From there, he pulled out a red and white checkered piece of cloth, large and square. He also pulled out two pillows, white and fluffy. "Help me lay this out."

Sabriel took two corners of the cloth and helped Touchstone lay the cloth out flat. After that, Touchstone tossed her a pillow and instructed her to sit on it, which she did happily. Sabriel crossed her legs.

"What now?" Sabriel wondered curiously, her face starting to light up at the idea of this "picnic".

"We start with a small appetizer," Touchstone explained, sitting down on the other pillow, across the cloth for her. He then reached into the basket. "Like apples."

Sabriel's face lit up when Touchstone pulled out a silver platter of freshly cut apples, her favorite fruit. He also pulled out two plates, and motioned for Sabriel to take some apples.

"How did you get these?" Sabriel asked as she ate.

"It wasn't hard," Touchstone answered, and then his face suddenly lit up. "Do you want to hear something funny I've been working on?"

"Sure!" Sabriel replied happily. Touchstone responded by doing a perfect imitation of Jall Oren, the elected Chancellor, as he said, "Give me my pie!"

At that, Sabriel burst out laughing, because his imitation of the words the man said so often sounded so accurate. She was rolling on the grass with laughter as Touchstone's imitations continued.

"Dear my good grandmother, please do send me a pie. And do refrain from sending me these things you call vegetables. They are good for my health, and therefore, I may not consume them."

"Let me guess," Sabriel guessed after the end of her unimaginably long coughing fit. "There's a main course next?"

"How did you know?" Touchstone replied with a smile. He reached into the basket again and pulled out a small box. When he opened it, Sabriel saw that it was full of sandwiches.

"Jelly," Touchstone introduced. He took a small triangle of sandwich and handed it to Sabriel as he also kissed her cheek. She blushed a shade of rosy pink, and began to eat the sandwich.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sabriel wondered.  
"Anything at all," Touchstone replied.

"Why are you so overprotective of me?" Sabriel asked. Touchstone gasped.

"Overprotective? Is that really what I just heard?" Touchstone growled.

"Yes..." Sabriel answered, matching his tone.

"Do you remember how many times I've saved your _life_?" Touchstone barked, getting angrier.

"You know what? I hate it when you're right!" Sabriel sighed angrily.

"Then maybe you should be wrong less often!" Touchstone roared. Sabriel responded by picking up an apple slice and throwing it at Touchstone. It hit him clean between the eyes. Suddenly, Touchstone picked up his pillow and threw it at Sabriel, who jumped up and blocked it with her own pillow.

"Come on; give me a real pillow fight!" Sabriel snarled. She tossed Touchstone his pillow and they instantly began to fight. It was a game of strategy, hitting their opponent's weak spots while trying to block their own. They fought and fought, through midnight, until their arms got sore and tired. Suddenly, they both let out loud yawns.

"Are you tired?" Touchstone asked, suddenly concerned for her once more. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Just a little," Sabriel replied, then yawned once more.

"Should we start back to the Palace?" Touchstone asked worriedly.

"No," Sabriel replied, curling up next to Touchstone. "I like it right here."

She quickly fell asleep, Touchstone stroking her hair until she slept.


End file.
